Police officers investigating reports of an illegal republican parade escaped injury from flying debris and shrapnel after a device hidden inside a dog foul bin went off without warning.

The suspect had been held at the PSNI's serious crime suite at Antrim for most of the day but a spokesman for the PSNI confirmed he had been released. The crude device went off without warning at Levin Road at about 3pm on Saturday. There were no reports of any injuries and only minor damage was caused.

Police were attacked with petrol bombs during a follow-up operation in the Kilwilkie area of Lurgan in the early hours of Sunday morning. No-one was hurt. Police have said the bomb bid was the work of dissident republicans who have been behind a spate of attacks on the security forces in recent weeks.

PSNI Chief Inspector Anthony McNally said: "Those involved in this attack have no place in modern day Northern Ireland. They showed a blatant disregard for the local community, as anyone could have approached this bin as it exploded."

Mr McNally said officers would not be deterred from doing their duty.

"We want to reassure the community that we will not be deterred by this attack by individuals intent on dragging us back to the past. Local police will continue to deliver the personal, professional and protective service that the vast majority of residents in the north Lurgan area want to see," he added.

Sinn Fein MLA in Lurgan, John O'Dowd said the attack had been an attempt to kill police. He said: "These so-called dissidents need to come out and explain exactly why they are doing this. The planting of this device along a busy road on one of the busiest days of the year was not only callous it was stupid."